Apparatus for printing machines



(NoModeL) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

HERO 85 J. A. NICHOLS.

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

E. T. CLEAT Patented June 17, 1890).

' 5 SheetsSheet '2. E. T. GLEATHERO 8v J; A. NICHOLS.

FEEDING APPARATUS POR'PRINTING MACHINES.

No. 430,513. v Patented June 17, 1890.

(NuModeL) (No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 3.

B. T. GLEATHERO 8a J. A. NICHOLS.

FEEDING APPARATUSVPOR PRINTING MACHINES. No. 430,513. Patented June 17, 1890.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sh eet 4 B. T. GLEATHERO' & J. A. NICHOLS.

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

(-No Mpdel.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5. E. T. OLEATHERO & J. A. NICHOLS.

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

No. 430,513. Patented June 17, 1890.

. awe.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDlVARD T. OLEATHERO, OF BROOKLEY, COUNTY OF KENT, AND JOSEPH A. NICHOLS, OF ISLINGTON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,513, dated June 17, 1890.

Application filed December 16, 1889. Serial No. 333,902- (No model.) Patented in EnglandNovembcr 20,1888, No. 16,850: in

France December 12, 1889, No. 202,545, and in Belgium December 12, 1889, No. 88,818.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it. known that we, EDWARD THOMAS CLEATHERO and JOSEPH ARTHUR NIoHoLs, citizens of England, residing, respectively, at

3d Malpas Road, Brockley, in the county of Kent, England, and at 20 Devonshire Street, Islington, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Feeding Apparatus for Printing- Machines, (for which we have obtained patent in Great Britain, dated November 20, 1888, No. 16,850; in France, dated December 12, 1889, No. 202,545, and in Belgium, dated December 12, 1889, No. 88,818,) of which the following is a specification.

Our invent-ion relates to apparatus for automatically feeding the paper into printingmachines, whether for type-printing, lithography, or other purposes; and it consists,

mainly, in mounting in a vertically-sliding frame a horizontal spindle carrying two or more disks with caoutchouc peripheries, which rest upon the pile of paper, so that on having rotary motion imparted to them they feed the top sheet of paper forward from the pile. A segment is cut off the periphery of the disks at one point, and their motion is so arranged that they only perform one complete revolution at a time, coming to rest 0 when the flat part of the periphery is presented to the pile of paper, in which position they are not in contact with the latter, so that by their rotation they feed the paper forward a certain distance until it is seized by grip- 5 ping-rollers and then, in remaining stationary in the position described, allow the remainder of the sheet to be drawn from under them. The period of rest is made to correspond with that of the feeding-cylinder of the printing-machine, so that the sheets of paper are fed forward exactly in accordance with the motion of the cylinder. In combination with the said sliding frame with feeding-disks are other devices which we will proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the said feeding mechanism, together with so much of a printing-machine as is necessary to explain the action of our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan. Fig. 3 shows a cross-section at 00 w, Fig.1. Figs. at, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and llare detail views of parts hereinafter explained.

To the frame A of the printing-machine, which may be of any known construction, is fixed a table B, which carries at O the pile of paper O to be fed into the machine, and which has fixed on either side standards D, between which is the vertically-sliding frame E, provided with rollers F F, which bear 6o against the sides of the standards, so as to guide the frame as it moves up and down. The frame E is suspended by a cord G from one end of a beam H, carried by a transverse bar I, connecting the two upper ends of the standards D. The other end of the beam II carries a weight J, which is made tonearly balance the weight of the sliding frame E with the parts attached thereto. In hearings on the frame is mounted a spindle K, on which are fixed two or more disks L, the peripheries of which are made of caoutchouc and which have a flat side at L. When the circular parts of the disks are presented to the paper sheets at C, they rest upon the paper, exerting a slight pressure thereon equal to the excess of weight of the sliding frame over the balance-weight J, so that on their being rotated in the direction of the arrow II they feed the top sheet forward from the So pile in the direction of the arrow III until they arrive in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the flat part faces the paper, and they then remain stationary, with such fiat surface removed from the paper, this action being effected by the following mechanism.

The shaft of the feeding-cylinder M of the printing-machine carries a pitch-Wheel N, which drives an equal pitch-wheel O on a spindle 0, carried by a bracket on the fram- 9o ing by a pitch-chain N. The spindle O carries a second pitch-wheel 0 which drives an equal pitch-wheel P on a spindle P, carried by the sliding frame E by a pitch-chain O As the feeding-cylinder M of the printing- 5 machine makes one complete revolution and then remains stationary until another sheet of paper is to be fed into the machine, it follows that the wheel P and shaft 1? in like manner make one complete revolution and then remain stationary. The shaft P drives the shaft K, carrying the'disks L, through gearing Q R S T, situated at the right-hand end of the frame, as shown in the end and front view of this part at Figs. 6 and 7. The wheel Q is fixed on shaft P, while B S are connected together, as Will be presently described, and are mounted loose on a pin E, fixed to the frame E, and T is fixed on shaft K. The disks L, besides their function of feeding each sheet of paper forward to the printing-machine, perform the further function of f fluffing each sheet just before it is fed forward-that is to say, raising its front end up so as to separate it from the next sheet belowand thus prevent two sheets being fed in simultaneously, for which purpose the disks are turned from the position shown in full lines a certain distance in the direction of the arrow I toward the position shown in dotted lines at Fig. 5, whereby it pushes the front edge of the paper in a backward direction and as the backpart of the paper is held down by the roller U the front part of the sheet will be raised up; as indicated by the dotted line. After this motion has been effected the disks are turned back again in the direction of the arrow II, and then feed the sheet of paper (which sinks down flat again) forward, in the manner above described, their rotation being continued until they again arrive with their fiat surface opposite the paper. As these movements of the disks L have to take place while the shaft P and wheel Q are performing one revolution, it will be seen that the shaft K and disks L must revolve at a quicker speed than the shaft P and wheel Q. For this purpose the wheels Q and R are made of equal diameter, while the wheel S is made about one-third larger in diameter than the wheel T gearing therewith.

For producing the backward motion of the disks L for fluffing, as above described, there is provided, in addition to the above-described gearing, other gearing Q R S T V at the left-hand end of the frame, as shown in the end and front views of this part at Figs. 4 and 5. The toothed wheel Q, fixed on shaft P, drives wheel S, through Wheel R, and to wheel S is fixed a tappet V, which, when in the position shown, comes in contact with the stud T on disk T, which is fixed on' the shaft K, so that by the rotation of V in the direction of the arrow it drives T, and consequently the shaft K with disks L, in the contrary direction to that in which they are driven by the gearing Q R S TL In order to allow of this reverse motion at the right moment for fluflin g the sheet of paper to be fed forward, the wheels R S of the gearing that drives the disks L in the forward direction are not connected rigidly togeth er,but through a spring-catch W, pivoted to R and gearing with a notched disk V fixed to S. The wheel Q carries a stud Q which, when the wheel arrives in the position shown at Fig. 6, after completing arevolution,presses upon the tail of the catch NV and disengages it from the disk V, so that the wheel S being now disengaged from Q, shaft K with disks L is free to be rotated in the contrary direction by the gearing Q R S T when the shaftPand wheels Q Q commence their next rotation. Such rotation of the disks L in the contrary direction will continue until the tappet V in rotating passes beyond the stud T By the time this has taken place the rotation of Q will have freed the catch W from the stud Q and will at the same time have rotated wheel R and the catch \V in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 6, while the wheel S is simultaneously being rotated in the contrary direction by Wheel T, and these motions are so timed that immediately after V has cleared T the catch will meet and enter the next notch in the disk V, so that by the continued rotation of Q the shaft K and disks L will now be rotated in the direction of the arrow II, Fig. 6, for feeding the next sheet of paper into the printing-machine, which feed will take place as soon as the disks L arrive in the dotted position shown in Fig. 6. This motion will continue until the wheel Q has completed its revolution, thereby bringing the several parts into the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

\Vhile the disks L are feeding the sheet of paper forward it will be seen that they support so much of the weight of the sliding frame E, and of the parts connected thereto, as is not balanced by the weights J, so that as soon as the circular part of disks leaves the paper, after having fed it forward, the frame E must be supported by other means in order to allow of the disks being brought into the position shown, with their flat faces removed from the paper. This support is given by spring-pressing arms Z pivoted to the sliding frame E, and acted upon by cams m on the shaft P in such manner that as soon as the circular periphery of the disks L leaves the paper the arms have their ends pressed with sufficient force against the fixed guides D to hold the frame in the position shown, and are kept in this position until the disks begin to feed forward the next sheet of paper.

As the disks L are uncontrolled as regards their rotation in the backward direction at the time when the wheels R and S are disengaged, any inadvertent rotation in such di rection to an extent that would interfere with their proper action before they are acted upon by the tappet V is prevented by providing on the disk T a stop T which on the disk turning backward through a small arc would come in contact with V and thus prevent any further rotation.

The extent to which the paper sheets require to be fluffed varies with different kinds of paper. In order to afford such variation we provide on the table C a movable frame n, carrying a vertically-sliding roller U, extending across the paper and resting with its weight upon the top sheet, the roller being free to turn in the direction in which the paper is fed forward, but prevented from turning in the contrary direction by a loose jamming roller U.

According to the extent to which the paper sheet requires to be fluffed, the frame a is moved toward or away from the disks L, so that these in flufting the top sheet raise it. from the next sheet to the point where it is held down by the roller U.

Fig. 9 shows another device for. holding down the paper when flufling, which has the advantage over the roller U that no pressure is exerted on the paper when being fed forward. In this arrangement a rod 1, ex-

tending across the table and carried by shiftthe circular part thereof, the lever lis made to draw the arm 2 up away from the paper; but when the paper is about to be fluffed the drop of the cam comes opposite the pin 5 and the lever 4: allows the arm 2 to bear on the paper. To allow for the shifting of the arm 2 into different positions on the paper, the

tape 3 has its end coiled on a reel 8 on a pin of the lever 4:, the end of the pin being threaded and having a thumb-nut by which, when the length of the tape 3 has been ad justed to the position of the arm 2, the reel 8 i is nipped tight on the lever.

Instead of effecting the flufling operation bya reverse motion of the feeding-disks, this might be effected by separate huffing-arms fixed on the shaft K, or upon a separate shaft actuated by the gearing Q, R. S T V. In order still further to insure that only the top sheet shall be fed forward, we provide at the back edge of the paper pile an upright 0, carrying one or more slides 0', that bear with their weight upon the extreme rear edge of the paper, so that while offering but little resistance to the withdrawal from under it of the top sheet, it bears upon the next one with sufficient force to prevent it from being drawn forward by the mere frictional contact with the top one.

To the frame E is fixed a transverse bar 1), which is situated close in front'of the paper pile, and which has a series of notches which are closed by a thin metal plate p. (Shown more clearly in the part plan, Fig. 8.) In these notches are loosely-sliding tongues q, having curved beaks that project over and rest with their weight upon the paper pile.

Vhen the top sheet is fiuffed, as described,

its front edge is drawn from under this beak, which then bears upon the next one, so that when the top sheet falls back again,

after being fluffed, its edge will pass over the curved beak of g, which, together with the curved upper edge of the plate 19, will direct the sheet correctly between the guideplates at and f, that guide it to the nippingrollers c c. As the second sheet of paper is retained under the beak of q, it will be seen that should, notwithstanding the above-described devices for retaining it when the top sheet is fed forward, the frictional contact between the two still be sufficient to drag the second sheet forward, its movement will be at once stopped by its front edge coming in contact with the inner surface of the slides q. After passing the bar 19 the paper fed forward by the disks L is received on a guide plate a, which is pivoted at Ct to the frame E, so as to rise and fall with it, and rests with arms a? on pins on the inner faces of brackets b, which carry the feeding-roller c and feeddisks 0' bearing thereon, so that the plate a -in gradually descending at a as the frame E descends with the diminishing pile of paper, will always present its front edge to the meeting line of the feed-roller c and disks 0', and thus the sheet of paper which is being fed forward by the disks L will always be correctly fed into the disks and roller, no matter what the position of the frame E may be. The feed-roller and disks 0 c are continuously rotated in the direction of the arrows, receiving such motion in any convenient manner from a continuously-rotating part of the machine, such as by a pulley d and strap (1' from a pulley e, as shown, so that as soon as the front edge of the sheet of paper reaches them they seize it and feed it forward. In order to keep the sheet of paper in position. as it passes over the plate a, a second guide-plate f is provided, also pivoted at f to the frame E and resting with pins f at its ends on the plate a, so that a small space is left between its edge and the plate a for the paper to pass through, thus keeping the paper down without actually pressing upon it.

The distance of the feed disks and rollers c c from the disks L is so proportioned to the circular periphery of the latter that these just cease propelling the sheet of paper as they are passing into the position shown,

when the front edge of the sheet is seized by the rollers c c. From the rollers c c the paper passes onto the feeding-table g, on which it is fed forward to the feeding-cylinder M of the printing-machine. For this purpose the table g is formed with a number of slots in which run endless bands h, passing round the lower feed-roller c and over pulleys t at the lower end, so that the bands are at the same level as the table, and consequently in receiving motion from roller 0 feed the paper forward on the table till it reaches the cylinder M. The table g is slotted for the link 1) is connected to the point '10 of the le- .ve1', as shown, it will be seen that at each reception of the bands, in order to allow of its removal when required without interfering with the bands, the table being carried at its upper and lower ends by pins resting on the framing, as shown.

In order to insure that the paper shall register correctly as it enters the printing-machine, there is provided on each side of the table 9 a guide .9 .9, one of which is fixed, .while the other is capable of slight motion to and from the fixed one, so that when a sheet of paper is fed between them the movable guide is made to push the sheet close against the fixed one, and thus insure its correct po-' sition. As it may be required that at one time the right-hand guide and at another time the left-hand guide shall be the fixed one, they are arranged in the following manner: The guides have eyes t 25, through which passes a rod 25 carried by brackets i fixed to the table 9, either guide being capable of being fixed on the rod by means of a settingscrew in the eye. They have also a second eye a a, through which passes a second rod 1), which is connected by a. link 0; to an eye of a double-ended lever w, having a tail acted upon by a wiper a: on the feed-cylinder M, and by a spring acting in the contrary direction, so that at each revolution of the cylinder the rod 1; receives a to-and-fro motion.

The eyes u it also have setting-screws by' which either one can be secured to the rod 1;. Thus, assuming that the guide 8 be secured to the rod 25 while guide 3 is loose on the la"- ter, but is secured to the rod o, and that the revolution of the cylinder M the lever 10 will be made to move guide .9 toward 3, and thus push the sheet of paper against the latter for register,while if the connections of the guides s s to the rods t o be reversed and the link 1) be connected to the point w of the lever the latter will draw the movable guide 8 toward the fixed one 8'. According to another arrangement of this adjusting device, both the guide-plates s s are made to move to and fro simultaneously, so as to bring the paper sheet into a central position between them. This arrangement is shown in part plan and side elevation at Figs. 10 and 11. The rods o t are both connected by links 0 to the double-ended lever to, the rod 0) being fixed to the guide-plate 5', while the rod i is fixed to the guide-plate s. The lever w is connected by-a rod 10 to the end of a lever 00, hanging loosely on a pin 50 on the framing of the machine and acted upon at each revolution of the cylinder M by a pin 00 thereon, so as to rock the lever w, causing this to move both guide-plates s 8 toward each other, after which the lever x falls back by its weight, or is drawn back by a spring, into its original position, and consequently also brings the lever 10 and plates 8 3' back into their original positions. On arriving at the feeding-cylinder M the paper is seized by fingers on the cylinder and carried up to thesecond feeding-cylinder 7c in any suitable known manner.

- The feed-disks c are by preference formed with caoutchouc peripheries like the disks L, and they are adjusted in positions corresponding to those of the latter, such positionsbeing regulated by the position of the printed matter, which may already exist on one side of the paper sheets. The degree of nip of the disks 0 is regulated by screws r.

In order to prevent the sheets of paper from rising up as they are delivered onto the table 9 by the feed-rollers and. disks 0 c, we provide wire guards y, carried by a bar y, passing. across the table and fixed to standards 11 Having thus described the nature of our invention and the best means we know for carrying the same into practical effect, we claim v 1. In paper-feeding apparatus for piintingmachines, a verticallysliding partly-balanced frame E, carrying two or more intermittently-rotating disks L, provided with caoutchouc peripheries, whichare cut away at one point to form flattened faces, said disks being made to rest with their circular periphery on the pile of paper to be fed into the machine, in combination with mechanism, substantially as described, for rotating the disks at intervals.

2. In paper-feeding apparatus for printingmachines, a vertically sliding partly balanced frame E, carrying two or more feedingdisks L, having fiat faces L, and spring-arms Z, operated by cams m, for supporting the frame E in the raised position when the fiat faces of the disks are presented to the paper sheets at a distance therefrom, substantiallyas described.

3. In paper-feeding apparatus for printingmachines, a vertically-sliding partlybalanced frame E, carrying two or more intermittently-rotating disks L, each having a fiat face L and receiving reverse rotary motions at intervals, first in one direction for fiuffing the top sheet of paper and then in the contrary direction for feeding the top sheet forward, substantially as herein described.

4. In paper-feeding apparatus for printingmachines, a vertically sliding partlybalanced frame E, carrying two or more feedingdisks L, having fiat faces L, said disks being rotated by the shaft P, first in one direction for fiuffing the paper by means of gearing Q R S T and shaft K, and then in the contrary direction for feeding the paper forward, substantially as described.

5. In paper-feeding apparatus, the combination, with the vertically-sliding partly-balanced frame E, carrying the feeding-disks L, of a bar oarryin g vertically slidin g loose tongues, with beaks resting on the front edge of the paper pile, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In paper-feeding apparatus, the combination, with the partly-balanced frame E, carrying the feeding-disks L, of a pivoted arm IIO 2, bearing with its lower end upon the paper pile and connected by an adjustable tape 3 to a lever 4, acted upon by a cam 6 on the shaft P, so as to allow the arm-2 to rest on the paper during the fluffing operation, but to keep it raised off the same during the feeding" operation, substantially as herein described.

'7. In paper-feeding apparatus, the combination, with the vertically-sliding partly-bah. anced frame E, carrying the feeding-disks L, of guide-plates a fi'pivoted to the frame E, the plate a having'its other end supported upon the frame carrying the feeding device 0 c, for guiding the sheets of paper correctly from the pile to the said feeding device 0 a, substantially as herein described;

8. In combination with the vertically-sliding' partly-balanced frame E, carrying the feeding-disks L and guide-plates a f, the feedroller 0, and disks 0', table g, and traveling tapes h, for feeding the sheets of paper to the feed-cylinder M of theprinting-inachine, substantially as described.

7 9. In combination with the feeding-roller c, disks 0', table g, and traveling tapes h, the guides s s, rods l and c, connected to lever iv, actuated by lever cc and stud as on feedcylinder M, so as to cause the plates 5 s to advance toward each other as the sheet of paper passes between them, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof ,we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 25th day of November, A. D. 1889.

- EDWARD T. CLEATHERO. J OSEPII A. NICHOLS.

- Witnesses:

CHAS. D. ABEL,

cPaient Agent, 28 Southampton Buildings,

London, W C. M10. P. M. MILLARD, Clerk to il [ess rs. Abel dc I'mray, Consulting Engineers and Patent Agents, 28 Southampton Buildings, London, W C. 

